The sacred remains were then collected, and
reverently
consignedtothetomb.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v7
xii.
, p.
55.
2 See his Life at that date, in the succeed-
ing volume.
3 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii.
the —
Among pretermitted saints, p. 247.
l"
Articlevi. See HistoriaeCatholicce
Iberniae Compendium," tomus i. , lib. v. ,
cap. 3
p. 50.
See O'Sullevan
Beare's
xi. ,
See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Julii
De Sanctis Martyribus Divo seu Dio, in Cappadocia, p. 295.
it
218 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[July 13.
and within brackets. We cannot find more concerning him ; but, it seems most probable, he was the Martyr Divus or Dins—as entered in the ancient Hieronymian Martyrology—and who suffered with others at Caesarea in Cappadocia. 3
Article VIII. —St. MochulljEus. It would appear from his post- humous list of Irish Saints, that Colgan had the biography of St. Mochullaeus readyforpublication,andtobeinsertedatthe12thdayofJuly. Wecannot divine who this saint had been or when he flourished.
Article IX. —Reputed Feast of St. Mono, Martyr. From a
*
Manuscript Florarius Sanctorum, the Bollandists insert this feast to St.
Mono, Martyr. But they state, likewise, they could not find it in other writers treating about him ; and therefore, they refer to the 18th of October for the Acts of this holy Martyr, as being the proper date for his festival.
Article X. —St. Felix and his Companions, Martyrs. In the
early Irish Church, on the 12th of July, the Feast of St. Felix and of his
Companions, Martyrs, had been celebrated. 1 At this date, likewise, in the
ancient Calendars, St. Felix and St. Nabor are set down as having suffered
martyrdom at Milan, during the reign of the Emperor Maximinian, as related in their Acts which have come down to us. The Bollandists 2 have an account
of them, at this day, and in a learned previous dissertation^ they enter upon a critical examination of the historic records concerning them.
Cbu'tetntl) JBaj) of Snip.
ARTICLE I. —SAINTS BRIGID AND MAURA, SISTERS, VIRGINS AND MARTYRS.
[FIFTH OR SIXTH CENTURY. }
period when these holy virgins flourished has been assigned to the
fifth and THE —
Article vii. — '
by
others to the sixth
—
century.
However,
nothing
can well
In a note
adds at Dins: " This name is also added by
feasts, Article x.
the more recent hand, with the authority,
Mar. , where it is probable that in the words
p? il t)u Am fepcAig, the word Dii may be
intended as the genitive of Dius. "
'
See in the "Feilire" of Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. , part i. On the Calendar of Oengus.
2a Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
192, 193.
3 Seethe Bollandists' "Acta Sanctorum,"
tomus iii. , Julii xii. De Sanctis Martyribus Divo seu Dio, Cornio sive Corninsio, et
Laventio, Csesarea in Cappadocia, p. 295. Article ix. — See "Acta Sanctorum,"
tomus iii. , Julii xii. Among the pretermitted
See "Acta Sanctorum,'' tomus iii. ,Julii xii. DeSanctisMartyribusNaboreetFelice
paragraphs, ate to be found in succession.
Dr. Todd
p. 247.
—
—"Transactions of the
By Whitley Stokes, LL. D. , p. ex.
St. /Engus.
Mediolaniel Colonise, 280 to pp.
294.
3 Their Commentaiius Prcevius is con- taine1 insevensectionsandfifty-fourpara- graphs. Their Passio, in nine paragraphs, and their Acta paulo amphora, in 'eleven
July 13. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 219
be determined, as accounts concerning them, are vague, and where circum- stantial, often involved with inconsistencies of narrative, or not reconcilable with historic criticism. Wherever he procured them, Colgan had prepared the Acts of these holy women for publication, at the 13th of July, as appears from the posthumous list of his Manuscripts. The Bollandists insert some notices of Maura and Britta or at the of 1 as
Brigida, 13th July; but, they remark, Father Henschenn at the 5th of May has placed them among the
2
pretermittedsaints, withadoubtexpressed,thattheymaybeidenticalwith
St. Maura and St. Britta, Martyrs, treated of at the 15th day of January. 3
him to the
some account of th—em free from the legendary traditions of the Irish
Their Acts have been referred
by
date, where he — present hoped
but rather of the French writers, might be found. This legacy had been left by him to the succeeding Bollandists, who indeed had records and documents referring to them, but who did not deem it expedient to add anything to what hadbeeninsertedatthe15thofJanuary/ Accordingtosomeconjectures, these saints, venerated at Tours and called Virgins only, are different from
the present holy women, venerated at Beauvais, and designated Virgins and Martyrs. The Abbe Sabatier 5 and the Petits Bollandists 6 have notices of a legendary character, at this date, in reference to Saints Maure and Brigide, Virgins and Martyrs, in the diocese of Beauvais. The substance of their
Legendisgiven,likewise,byRev. S. Baring-Gould. ? Thishasbeendrawn from Guerin and Giry. There are festivals supposed to commemorate them,
8 and14th9 of
dates, promises have been held out, to treat about these holy Virgins and
Martyrs at greater length, on the 13th of July, we are now obliged to insert what seems most credible in reference to them ; for, it can hardly be gain- said, that most of the stories related are too wildly romantic and improbable for serious acceptance.
For the purposes of our sketch, it may be sufficient to state, that these holy sisters are related to have been daughters to Ella or Alell, said to have been King of Scotia, and to this some authors add, of Northumbria. 10 The Irish writers contend, that they were born in Ireland, and their period has been referred to the fifth or sixth century by Continental writers, from whom accounts concerning them have been drawn. Their mother is called Panti- lomena, who died in giving birth to these twin sisters. On being baptized, the infant Maura declared to all present that her mother was in Heaven,
likewise,
atthe
4th
January.
Asateachofthe
preceding
while Britta or
issued from the font surrounded 11 by dazzling light.
Article i.
tomus iii. , Julii xiii.
du Diocese de
mitted
2 See ibid. , tomus ii. ,
Beauvais. "
6 See "Vies des Saints," tome viii. ,
xiiie Jour de Juillet, pp. 274 to 278.
—x
Brigid
See "Acta Sanctorum," Among the preter-
s in his Saints "Viesdes
saints, p. 471.
Maii v. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 3. See also the Fifth
7 See his
"
Lives of the Saints," vol. vii. ,
Volume of this work, at May 5th, Art. iv.
July 13th, pp. 306 to 309.
8 See the First Volume of
that date, Art. v.
9 See ibid. , Art. iii.
I0
3 tomus See "Acta Sanctorum,"
this work, at
i. , Januarii xv. Vita S. Maune et Brittae, p. 1018. See also the First Volume of the
present work, at that date, Art. iii.
4 The Bollandist writer, at the present day,
adds, that the same hope, which inspired
Father Henschenn to escape from their
involved history by the discoveiy of more
authentic materials, might yet result in a
finding that could be referred to a possible
There wis an Ella, King of Northum- berland, in 866. He was slain by the Danes, at a place, since called from him Elle-Croft. See John Speed's "History of Great Bri- taine," &c , book vii. , chap. ix. ,p. 318.
" "Both babes, as we are gravely told, were given to one nurse to suckle, and as she had milk only in one breast, both little sisters
supplement for the Bollandists' completed
work, and to be appended at the 15th of were reared at the same one. Ella, we are
January.
also informed, was then in his capital Edin-
220 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[July 13.
TheyaresaidtohavehadabrothernamedHispadusorEspian. Thefather of these youthful virgins had earnestly desired that they should be united in marriage to husbands befitting their rank and station j but, his daughters had other purposes in view, as they had chosen Christ for their spouse, and accordingly they rejected all proposals relating to marriage. At the tender age of thirteen, both the sisters resolved on taking a vow of virginity. Soon afterwards their father died, and according to the Legend, he left crown and kingdom to his son. " The latter wished, however, to lead a religious life. Not chosing the burdens of state, he concerted with his sisters, that all three should leave their native country. It is said, that one night they stole away from Edinburgh, and directed, their course to England, where the maidens escaped from the machinations of evil-minded men, and through miracles wrought in their favour. Leaving England, they proceeded to France.
From the latter country, the holy triad Maura, Britta and Espian, went to
Rome, with a great desire to visit the tombs of the Apostle. In the Eternal City,
they formed the acquaintance of a man, named Ursicinus, with whom they
lodged, and who was distinguished for his piety. Through their prayers, he
was freed from a 1* It was now that all four grievous infirmity. resolved,
should visit the Holy Land, where they might have an opportunity of treading in the footsteps of our Divine Redeemer. These sacred spots were watered with their tears. They returned from the Holy Land together to Italy, and afterwards they landed at Marseilles in France. It so happened, that Ursicinus meeting with an accident at Anjou had broken his leg, when St. Maura wrapped her veil around the fractured limb, of which soon afterwards he found the use. About the same time, a small girl, who had been blind, received the gift of sight, when kissed by the Blessed Brigid. Soon afterwards, Ursicin was seized with a fever, and then he saw in a vision the crown of martyrdom prepared for Saints Maura, Britta and their brother Espian. Again, he was miraculously healed, and he accompainied them to Angers. In this place, a widow named Aldegunde had just lost her son named John by
death, but through the prayers and merits of St. Maura he was again restored to life. With her, the holy company there lodged. It was next resolved to visit the tomb of St. Martin in pilgrimage. Aldegund and her son John went in company with the holy travellers. On their way, Maura happened to meet in Touraine a young man named Joel, the son of Gerontius, who had been killed by an arrow, and him she raised to life. At the same time, she pre- dicted, that he should meet a martyr's death, after a lapse of twenty-two years. That house in which Gerontius lived afterwards became the site of a church,
1 dedicated to St. Maura. *
The pilgrims having set out soon arrived at Balagny, near Creil, in the diocese of Beauvais. At this time, France had been overrun by hordes of northern barbarians. A party of pagan robbers approached the place, where the pious pilgrims were, and gave vent to their lawless passions. St. Espian drew his sword to defend his sisters, but he was instantly massacred before their eyes. Afterwards, the widow Aldegund and her son John, together with Saints Maura and Britta, were put to death. They suffered martyrdom within the Beluacensian *s territory of ancient Gaul, it is said before the year 550. Urcissinus escaped from this slaughter to the village of
burgh. Some authors affirm, that for this cause, Edinburgh Castle had been call—ed Agnetes, or the Castle of the Maidens. " Rev. S.
found on the lists of the Kings of Scot- land.
"Lives of the Saints," vol. vii. , July 13th, p. 307.
12
It need scarcely be observed, that the names both of Ella and of Espin are not to be
tome
xiiie
de
Baring-Gould's
Saints," p. 276.
viii. ,
Jour
Juillet,
*s See Les Petits
Bollandistes,
" Vies des
I4 It is situated near St. Catherine de Fcribois, in Touraine.
July 13. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 221
Balagny,whereheinformedthevillagersofwhathadoccurred. Hewasnot present at the place where the saintly victims had been massacred j yet, be had a vision of celestial light, which seemed to rest over the spot, where their death took place.
The sacred remains were then collected, and reverently consignedtothetomb. TheBishopofBeauvais,whoreceivedanaccount of the foregoing occurrences caused Maure and Brigid to be venerated as Virgins and Martyrs. Their festival has been noted in the Calendars on the 13th of July, which is supposed to have been the date for their martyrdom.
On this day, they are commemorated in the Breviaries of Beauvais and of
Nogent. They are recorded, likewise, in the Martyrologies of Ferrarius ,6 1
and of Saussay. ? In the following century, Queen Bathilde ordered the bodies
to be translated to the monastery of Chelles, which she caused to be built
near Lagny. However, when oxen were yoked to a chariot for the purpose,
these refused to move, when they had come to the crossing road at Nogent,
near to Creil. Then, having been permitted to take their own course, they
turned towards the place afterwards called the Croix de Sainte-Maure, and
there taking the direction which led to the church of Nogent, they deposited
their sacred burden. The saints were then buried in its cemetery and right
opposite to the altar of the church. It is related by St. Gregory of Tours,18
that the bodies of St. Maura and of St. Brigid lay near Tours, and that they
had been miraculously discovered by a man finding a wax candle amid some
brambles on a little hill. He then related what he had seen to the Bishop
Euphronius, who dug there and found the bodies. Next night, the holy
virgins appeared to the bishop, and told him their names. The bodies of
those virgins were long preserved, it was thought, in a church dedicated to
1
them near Tours, ^ but the remains may have been different from those of the
holy persons this day commemorated.
In the year 1185, Pope Urban III. directed the Bishops of Beauvais
and Senlis to have their relics honourably enshrined; and he imparted Plenary Indulgences to all who should visit the church of Nogent, between Sunday in the Octave of the Ascension and the Feast of St. John the Baptist,
should venerate and invoke those 20 The bodies of martyrs.
provided they
St. Maura and of St. Brigid were preserved in the church of Nogent, until the time of St. Louis, King of France, who in 1242 visited the church of St. Maure and St. Brigid. This he found to be too small, and he caused the choir to be enlarged. Then, he had their relics removed to new shrines. This work was supervised by Eudes, coadjutor to the Bishop of Beauvais. In the year 1343, Jean de Marigny, Bishop of the same city, had that shrine opened for an inspection of the relics. 21 In the year 1635, the shrines looking old and faded were renewed by the ordinary of the diocese ; and this caused a revival of devotion among the people towards those holy Virgins and Martyrs. They were especially invoked during the periods of prevailing epidemics and pest. A great contagion spread two years afterwards in the parish of St. Andrew, in the city ot Beauvais. A vow was made by the Cure' and by his parishioners, to proceed in solemn procession to the chapel of St. Maure and of St. Brigid. This vow they fulfilled, and on the very day of that procession, the pestilence ceased, so that no other person became infected
13 The Bellovaci were a in people, living
*' See Rev. S. Gould's "Lives of Baring-
or near the modern Beauvais.
16 20 "
In his General Catalogue.
17 In his French Martyrology.
18 In his work, " De Gloria Confesso-
rum," lib. xviii. The saint relates no par- ticulars to throw light on the history of these holy Virgins and Martyrs.
the Saints," July 13th, p. 309.
See Les Petits Bollandistes, Vies des
Saints," tome viii. , xiiie Jour de Juillet, p. 278.
3I
Afterwards, he became Archbishop of Rouen.
" The foregoing accounts are to be found,
222 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[July 13.
withit, andthosewhohadbeenattackedbecameconvalescentinashort time, no other victim having been added to the previous list of mortality. * The memory of St. Maura and of St. Britta was held in veneration in the church of Nogent—called from them Nogent-les-Vierges—on the 13th of July, andonthe4thofJanuary. ^ Thelatterofthesedateswasprobablythatre- ferring to the Translation of their relics.
Article II. —St. Cairill or Carell, of Tamnach, County of
Sligo. The present St. Carell is said to have been the son of Cormac, son
to Trenn, son of Emchad, son to Mair, son of Ere, son to Tribad, son to Sodan, son of Fiach Aradius. 1 Thus is his genealogy drawn from the royal
line of Ultonia. It is he was a said,
of St. 2 When St. Benignus.
disciple
Patrick visited the territory of Hua Noilella. 3 in the western part of Ireland,
he founded a church eastwards in Tamhnagh. This is now known as the church of Taunagh or Tawnagh. * St. Cairell seems to have been elevated to the episcopal rank, and to have been placed over this church. s He is
6
numbered St. Patrick's among
this is the St. Cairell of the country of Tir-ros, noted in the Martyrologies of Tallagh, ofMarianusO'Gorman,andofDonegal. Itseems,likely,however,thathe has noted incorrectly the 13th of July, for the 13th of June. At this latter date, by referring to St. CairelPs feast, as bishop at Tir Rois,? it would seem, that he flourished, not in the time of St. Patrick, but at a period long subse-
quent. He is there represented, as having been a contemporary with St. ColmanEla,ofLannEla,nowLynnally,intheKing'sCounty. Thusmust we draw a line of demarkation between both saints, however similarly named.
Article III. —St. Ernin, or Arney, of Inis-caoin, now Innis- keen, Counties of Meath and Cavan. At the 13th of July, veneration
1
was given to Ernin, of Inis-caoin, as appears in the Martyrology of Donegal. There are three distinct Inis-caoins, viz. : first, Inishkeen, on Lough Erne;
—another on secondly, Lough
Melvin—both of these are in the
of Fer-
disciples.
Again, Colgan supposes,
managh and thirdly, Inis-caoin-Deagha, or Iniskeen,
Louth. But, the Enniskeen, or Eniskeen, with which the present saint appears to have been connected, was a parish located, partly in the baronies of Lower
Kells and Lower Slane, in the county of Meath, but chiefly in the barony of Clonkee, in the county of Cavan. This old church of Eniskeen has been torn down and uprooted, save and except old crosses and numerous tombs, which serve to mark the resting-places of the faithful. No traces remain at
in L'Abbe Sabatier's "Vies des Saints du Diocese de Beauvais. "
a See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Appendix Quarta ad Acta S. Brigidce, cap. i. ,
s See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga,"
Septima Vita S. Patricii, pars, ii. , cap. xliii. ,
p. 135, and n. 86, p. 177.
p. 612. — Article 11.
'
According to the" Genea-
Patricii, cap. xxiii. , p. 267.
7 See the Sixth Volume of this work
Art. i.
Article hi. —' Edited by Drs. Todd and
Reeves, pp. 194, 195.
logic Sanctilogy," chap, xxiii.
2 According to the Life of St. Benignus,
chap. 13, as quoted by Colgan.
3 Now known as the barony of Tirerrill,
2
About the year 1830, these stations were
in the county of Sligo.
held for the last time, as the writer has been
informed, the Rev. Peter O'Reilly, P. P. , by
of Enniskeen, now called Kingscourt. This change of name took place about the begin-
ning of the present century.
« William M. "
See Hennessy's Tripartite
Life of St. Patrick," part ii. Miss Cusack's " Life of St. Patrick, Apostle of Ireland," p. 404, and n. 2, ibid.
6
See ibid. y Quinta Appendix ad Acta S.
in
of
county the county
July 13. ] LIVES OE THE IRISH SAINTS. 3*3
present illustrative of the ancient worship. Here, the festival of St. Arney hadbeencelebratedeach13thdayofJuly. Aholywell,dedicatedtothissaint, springs from the soil, and convenient to the burying-ground. It is now dried
up, but stations used to be performed there, on the feast-day.
a
It was called
Toberarney. In the days of persecution, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass had to be celebrated on a large block of stone, outside the graveyard of Eniskeen.
Anciently, this seems to have been the pedestal of a stone cross or a sanc- tuary terminus. 3 Various other curious antique objects are in this parish. 4 There is a notice of this saint's festival, on the 13th of July, as furnished by Father O'Sheerin to the Bollandists. s
Article IV. —St. Greallog Obelech, of Tamlacht Charna, in Ui Breasail-airthir. This saint's name occurs in the MartyrologiesofTallagh,
1
of Marianus O'Gorman and of Maguire, at the present —date.
There is a St. Grellan, apparently Londonderry seemingly yet only
and— connected with
conjecturally identified with the present saint.
2
This may be Grealla, says
the calendarist, and sister to Monchan of Liath, and of Greillseach, while
Mella was mother of the three. According to another conjecture, however,
it is supposed the present saint, may be identical with a Grellan,3 who was
the companion of St. Columba,* when he set out for Caledonia, on his great
missionary enterprise about the year 565. If so, this saint must have flourished
in the sixth century. The connexion of place in Ulster renders such an
opinion not impossible. Grillan or Grillanus is another form of his name.
Some of the Scottish historians incorrectly call him Gallanus. s We find
entered in the of 6 that a festival was celebrated at the
Martyrology Donegal,
13th of July, in honour of Greallog Oeblach of Tamlacht Charna, in Ui Brea- sail airthir. The Ui Breasail, aJ,so called Ui Breasail Mach, were descended
fromBreasal,oftheCollaDaChriochrace. Inlatterages,thisterritorywas knownasClanbrazil. 7 AlltheeasternpartofOrighialla,calledOirthear,had been occupied by septs of Niallan race. 8 In some part of this territory, Tarn lacht Charna must, in all likelihood, be sought. The ancient territory of
3 See Rev. A.
Ancient and Modern," vol. ii. , chap, xvi. , pp. 298, 299.
4 See Lewis' "Topographical Dictionary of Ireland," vol. i. , p. 604.
5 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Julii xiii. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 474.
Article IV.
—
x
See Colgan's "Trias
194, 195.
t This district is shown, on a Map of
Ulster drawn up in the reign of Elizabeth or James I. , as situated to the south of Lough Neagh, where the Upper Bann enters that lake. From this circumstance, and from the space described, it appears to have been co- extensive with the present barony of Oneil- land East.
8
Cogan's
pp.
Thaumaturga," Quarta Appendix ad Acta S. Columbae, cap. x. , p. 490.
" Diocese of Meath,
6 Edited Drs. Todd and Reeves, by
The foregoing district appears not only 2 See " Memoir of the City and North to have included the present baronies of Western Liberties of Londonderry," part ii. , Oneilland, East and West, but also East
sect. 2, p. 27. and West (? ) North and South Orior. The 3 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," sept of the O'h-Anluains (O'Hanlons), pos-
Quarta Appendix ad Acta S. Colunibae, cap.
2 See his Life at that date, in the succeed-
ing volume.
3 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii.
the —
Among pretermitted saints, p. 247.
l"
Articlevi. See HistoriaeCatholicce
Iberniae Compendium," tomus i. , lib. v. ,
cap. 3
p. 50.
See O'Sullevan
Beare's
xi. ,
See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Julii
De Sanctis Martyribus Divo seu Dio, in Cappadocia, p. 295.
it
218 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[July 13.
and within brackets. We cannot find more concerning him ; but, it seems most probable, he was the Martyr Divus or Dins—as entered in the ancient Hieronymian Martyrology—and who suffered with others at Caesarea in Cappadocia. 3
Article VIII. —St. MochulljEus. It would appear from his post- humous list of Irish Saints, that Colgan had the biography of St. Mochullaeus readyforpublication,andtobeinsertedatthe12thdayofJuly. Wecannot divine who this saint had been or when he flourished.
Article IX. —Reputed Feast of St. Mono, Martyr. From a
*
Manuscript Florarius Sanctorum, the Bollandists insert this feast to St.
Mono, Martyr. But they state, likewise, they could not find it in other writers treating about him ; and therefore, they refer to the 18th of October for the Acts of this holy Martyr, as being the proper date for his festival.
Article X. —St. Felix and his Companions, Martyrs. In the
early Irish Church, on the 12th of July, the Feast of St. Felix and of his
Companions, Martyrs, had been celebrated. 1 At this date, likewise, in the
ancient Calendars, St. Felix and St. Nabor are set down as having suffered
martyrdom at Milan, during the reign of the Emperor Maximinian, as related in their Acts which have come down to us. The Bollandists 2 have an account
of them, at this day, and in a learned previous dissertation^ they enter upon a critical examination of the historic records concerning them.
Cbu'tetntl) JBaj) of Snip.
ARTICLE I. —SAINTS BRIGID AND MAURA, SISTERS, VIRGINS AND MARTYRS.
[FIFTH OR SIXTH CENTURY. }
period when these holy virgins flourished has been assigned to the
fifth and THE —
Article vii. — '
by
others to the sixth
—
century.
However,
nothing
can well
In a note
adds at Dins: " This name is also added by
feasts, Article x.
the more recent hand, with the authority,
Mar. , where it is probable that in the words
p? il t)u Am fepcAig, the word Dii may be
intended as the genitive of Dius. "
'
See in the "Feilire" of Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. , part i. On the Calendar of Oengus.
2a Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
192, 193.
3 Seethe Bollandists' "Acta Sanctorum,"
tomus iii. , Julii xii. De Sanctis Martyribus Divo seu Dio, Cornio sive Corninsio, et
Laventio, Csesarea in Cappadocia, p. 295. Article ix. — See "Acta Sanctorum,"
tomus iii. , Julii xii. Among the pretermitted
See "Acta Sanctorum,'' tomus iii. ,Julii xii. DeSanctisMartyribusNaboreetFelice
paragraphs, ate to be found in succession.
Dr. Todd
p. 247.
—
—"Transactions of the
By Whitley Stokes, LL. D. , p. ex.
St. /Engus.
Mediolaniel Colonise, 280 to pp.
294.
3 Their Commentaiius Prcevius is con- taine1 insevensectionsandfifty-fourpara- graphs. Their Passio, in nine paragraphs, and their Acta paulo amphora, in 'eleven
July 13. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 219
be determined, as accounts concerning them, are vague, and where circum- stantial, often involved with inconsistencies of narrative, or not reconcilable with historic criticism. Wherever he procured them, Colgan had prepared the Acts of these holy women for publication, at the 13th of July, as appears from the posthumous list of his Manuscripts. The Bollandists insert some notices of Maura and Britta or at the of 1 as
Brigida, 13th July; but, they remark, Father Henschenn at the 5th of May has placed them among the
2
pretermittedsaints, withadoubtexpressed,thattheymaybeidenticalwith
St. Maura and St. Britta, Martyrs, treated of at the 15th day of January. 3
him to the
some account of th—em free from the legendary traditions of the Irish
Their Acts have been referred
by
date, where he — present hoped
but rather of the French writers, might be found. This legacy had been left by him to the succeeding Bollandists, who indeed had records and documents referring to them, but who did not deem it expedient to add anything to what hadbeeninsertedatthe15thofJanuary/ Accordingtosomeconjectures, these saints, venerated at Tours and called Virgins only, are different from
the present holy women, venerated at Beauvais, and designated Virgins and Martyrs. The Abbe Sabatier 5 and the Petits Bollandists 6 have notices of a legendary character, at this date, in reference to Saints Maure and Brigide, Virgins and Martyrs, in the diocese of Beauvais. The substance of their
Legendisgiven,likewise,byRev. S. Baring-Gould. ? Thishasbeendrawn from Guerin and Giry. There are festivals supposed to commemorate them,
8 and14th9 of
dates, promises have been held out, to treat about these holy Virgins and
Martyrs at greater length, on the 13th of July, we are now obliged to insert what seems most credible in reference to them ; for, it can hardly be gain- said, that most of the stories related are too wildly romantic and improbable for serious acceptance.
For the purposes of our sketch, it may be sufficient to state, that these holy sisters are related to have been daughters to Ella or Alell, said to have been King of Scotia, and to this some authors add, of Northumbria. 10 The Irish writers contend, that they were born in Ireland, and their period has been referred to the fifth or sixth century by Continental writers, from whom accounts concerning them have been drawn. Their mother is called Panti- lomena, who died in giving birth to these twin sisters. On being baptized, the infant Maura declared to all present that her mother was in Heaven,
likewise,
atthe
4th
January.
Asateachofthe
preceding
while Britta or
issued from the font surrounded 11 by dazzling light.
Article i.
tomus iii. , Julii xiii.
du Diocese de
mitted
2 See ibid. , tomus ii. ,
Beauvais. "
6 See "Vies des Saints," tome viii. ,
xiiie Jour de Juillet, pp. 274 to 278.
—x
Brigid
See "Acta Sanctorum," Among the preter-
s in his Saints "Viesdes
saints, p. 471.
Maii v. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 3. See also the Fifth
7 See his
"
Lives of the Saints," vol. vii. ,
Volume of this work, at May 5th, Art. iv.
July 13th, pp. 306 to 309.
8 See the First Volume of
that date, Art. v.
9 See ibid. , Art. iii.
I0
3 tomus See "Acta Sanctorum,"
this work, at
i. , Januarii xv. Vita S. Maune et Brittae, p. 1018. See also the First Volume of the
present work, at that date, Art. iii.
4 The Bollandist writer, at the present day,
adds, that the same hope, which inspired
Father Henschenn to escape from their
involved history by the discoveiy of more
authentic materials, might yet result in a
finding that could be referred to a possible
There wis an Ella, King of Northum- berland, in 866. He was slain by the Danes, at a place, since called from him Elle-Croft. See John Speed's "History of Great Bri- taine," &c , book vii. , chap. ix. ,p. 318.
" "Both babes, as we are gravely told, were given to one nurse to suckle, and as she had milk only in one breast, both little sisters
supplement for the Bollandists' completed
work, and to be appended at the 15th of were reared at the same one. Ella, we are
January.
also informed, was then in his capital Edin-
220 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[July 13.
TheyaresaidtohavehadabrothernamedHispadusorEspian. Thefather of these youthful virgins had earnestly desired that they should be united in marriage to husbands befitting their rank and station j but, his daughters had other purposes in view, as they had chosen Christ for their spouse, and accordingly they rejected all proposals relating to marriage. At the tender age of thirteen, both the sisters resolved on taking a vow of virginity. Soon afterwards their father died, and according to the Legend, he left crown and kingdom to his son. " The latter wished, however, to lead a religious life. Not chosing the burdens of state, he concerted with his sisters, that all three should leave their native country. It is said, that one night they stole away from Edinburgh, and directed, their course to England, where the maidens escaped from the machinations of evil-minded men, and through miracles wrought in their favour. Leaving England, they proceeded to France.
From the latter country, the holy triad Maura, Britta and Espian, went to
Rome, with a great desire to visit the tombs of the Apostle. In the Eternal City,
they formed the acquaintance of a man, named Ursicinus, with whom they
lodged, and who was distinguished for his piety. Through their prayers, he
was freed from a 1* It was now that all four grievous infirmity. resolved,
should visit the Holy Land, where they might have an opportunity of treading in the footsteps of our Divine Redeemer. These sacred spots were watered with their tears. They returned from the Holy Land together to Italy, and afterwards they landed at Marseilles in France. It so happened, that Ursicinus meeting with an accident at Anjou had broken his leg, when St. Maura wrapped her veil around the fractured limb, of which soon afterwards he found the use. About the same time, a small girl, who had been blind, received the gift of sight, when kissed by the Blessed Brigid. Soon afterwards, Ursicin was seized with a fever, and then he saw in a vision the crown of martyrdom prepared for Saints Maura, Britta and their brother Espian. Again, he was miraculously healed, and he accompainied them to Angers. In this place, a widow named Aldegunde had just lost her son named John by
death, but through the prayers and merits of St. Maura he was again restored to life. With her, the holy company there lodged. It was next resolved to visit the tomb of St. Martin in pilgrimage. Aldegund and her son John went in company with the holy travellers. On their way, Maura happened to meet in Touraine a young man named Joel, the son of Gerontius, who had been killed by an arrow, and him she raised to life. At the same time, she pre- dicted, that he should meet a martyr's death, after a lapse of twenty-two years. That house in which Gerontius lived afterwards became the site of a church,
1 dedicated to St. Maura. *
The pilgrims having set out soon arrived at Balagny, near Creil, in the diocese of Beauvais. At this time, France had been overrun by hordes of northern barbarians. A party of pagan robbers approached the place, where the pious pilgrims were, and gave vent to their lawless passions. St. Espian drew his sword to defend his sisters, but he was instantly massacred before their eyes. Afterwards, the widow Aldegund and her son John, together with Saints Maura and Britta, were put to death. They suffered martyrdom within the Beluacensian *s territory of ancient Gaul, it is said before the year 550. Urcissinus escaped from this slaughter to the village of
burgh. Some authors affirm, that for this cause, Edinburgh Castle had been call—ed Agnetes, or the Castle of the Maidens. " Rev. S.
found on the lists of the Kings of Scot- land.
"Lives of the Saints," vol. vii. , July 13th, p. 307.
12
It need scarcely be observed, that the names both of Ella and of Espin are not to be
tome
xiiie
de
Baring-Gould's
Saints," p. 276.
viii. ,
Jour
Juillet,
*s See Les Petits
Bollandistes,
" Vies des
I4 It is situated near St. Catherine de Fcribois, in Touraine.
July 13. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 221
Balagny,whereheinformedthevillagersofwhathadoccurred. Hewasnot present at the place where the saintly victims had been massacred j yet, be had a vision of celestial light, which seemed to rest over the spot, where their death took place.
The sacred remains were then collected, and reverently consignedtothetomb. TheBishopofBeauvais,whoreceivedanaccount of the foregoing occurrences caused Maure and Brigid to be venerated as Virgins and Martyrs. Their festival has been noted in the Calendars on the 13th of July, which is supposed to have been the date for their martyrdom.
On this day, they are commemorated in the Breviaries of Beauvais and of
Nogent. They are recorded, likewise, in the Martyrologies of Ferrarius ,6 1
and of Saussay. ? In the following century, Queen Bathilde ordered the bodies
to be translated to the monastery of Chelles, which she caused to be built
near Lagny. However, when oxen were yoked to a chariot for the purpose,
these refused to move, when they had come to the crossing road at Nogent,
near to Creil. Then, having been permitted to take their own course, they
turned towards the place afterwards called the Croix de Sainte-Maure, and
there taking the direction which led to the church of Nogent, they deposited
their sacred burden. The saints were then buried in its cemetery and right
opposite to the altar of the church. It is related by St. Gregory of Tours,18
that the bodies of St. Maura and of St. Brigid lay near Tours, and that they
had been miraculously discovered by a man finding a wax candle amid some
brambles on a little hill. He then related what he had seen to the Bishop
Euphronius, who dug there and found the bodies. Next night, the holy
virgins appeared to the bishop, and told him their names. The bodies of
those virgins were long preserved, it was thought, in a church dedicated to
1
them near Tours, ^ but the remains may have been different from those of the
holy persons this day commemorated.
In the year 1185, Pope Urban III. directed the Bishops of Beauvais
and Senlis to have their relics honourably enshrined; and he imparted Plenary Indulgences to all who should visit the church of Nogent, between Sunday in the Octave of the Ascension and the Feast of St. John the Baptist,
should venerate and invoke those 20 The bodies of martyrs.
provided they
St. Maura and of St. Brigid were preserved in the church of Nogent, until the time of St. Louis, King of France, who in 1242 visited the church of St. Maure and St. Brigid. This he found to be too small, and he caused the choir to be enlarged. Then, he had their relics removed to new shrines. This work was supervised by Eudes, coadjutor to the Bishop of Beauvais. In the year 1343, Jean de Marigny, Bishop of the same city, had that shrine opened for an inspection of the relics. 21 In the year 1635, the shrines looking old and faded were renewed by the ordinary of the diocese ; and this caused a revival of devotion among the people towards those holy Virgins and Martyrs. They were especially invoked during the periods of prevailing epidemics and pest. A great contagion spread two years afterwards in the parish of St. Andrew, in the city ot Beauvais. A vow was made by the Cure' and by his parishioners, to proceed in solemn procession to the chapel of St. Maure and of St. Brigid. This vow they fulfilled, and on the very day of that procession, the pestilence ceased, so that no other person became infected
13 The Bellovaci were a in people, living
*' See Rev. S. Gould's "Lives of Baring-
or near the modern Beauvais.
16 20 "
In his General Catalogue.
17 In his French Martyrology.
18 In his work, " De Gloria Confesso-
rum," lib. xviii. The saint relates no par- ticulars to throw light on the history of these holy Virgins and Martyrs.
the Saints," July 13th, p. 309.
See Les Petits Bollandistes, Vies des
Saints," tome viii. , xiiie Jour de Juillet, p. 278.
3I
Afterwards, he became Archbishop of Rouen.
" The foregoing accounts are to be found,
222 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[July 13.
withit, andthosewhohadbeenattackedbecameconvalescentinashort time, no other victim having been added to the previous list of mortality. * The memory of St. Maura and of St. Britta was held in veneration in the church of Nogent—called from them Nogent-les-Vierges—on the 13th of July, andonthe4thofJanuary. ^ Thelatterofthesedateswasprobablythatre- ferring to the Translation of their relics.
Article II. —St. Cairill or Carell, of Tamnach, County of
Sligo. The present St. Carell is said to have been the son of Cormac, son
to Trenn, son of Emchad, son to Mair, son of Ere, son to Tribad, son to Sodan, son of Fiach Aradius. 1 Thus is his genealogy drawn from the royal
line of Ultonia. It is he was a said,
of St. 2 When St. Benignus.
disciple
Patrick visited the territory of Hua Noilella. 3 in the western part of Ireland,
he founded a church eastwards in Tamhnagh. This is now known as the church of Taunagh or Tawnagh. * St. Cairell seems to have been elevated to the episcopal rank, and to have been placed over this church. s He is
6
numbered St. Patrick's among
this is the St. Cairell of the country of Tir-ros, noted in the Martyrologies of Tallagh, ofMarianusO'Gorman,andofDonegal. Itseems,likely,however,thathe has noted incorrectly the 13th of July, for the 13th of June. At this latter date, by referring to St. CairelPs feast, as bishop at Tir Rois,? it would seem, that he flourished, not in the time of St. Patrick, but at a period long subse-
quent. He is there represented, as having been a contemporary with St. ColmanEla,ofLannEla,nowLynnally,intheKing'sCounty. Thusmust we draw a line of demarkation between both saints, however similarly named.
Article III. —St. Ernin, or Arney, of Inis-caoin, now Innis- keen, Counties of Meath and Cavan. At the 13th of July, veneration
1
was given to Ernin, of Inis-caoin, as appears in the Martyrology of Donegal. There are three distinct Inis-caoins, viz. : first, Inishkeen, on Lough Erne;
—another on secondly, Lough
Melvin—both of these are in the
of Fer-
disciples.
Again, Colgan supposes,
managh and thirdly, Inis-caoin-Deagha, or Iniskeen,
Louth. But, the Enniskeen, or Eniskeen, with which the present saint appears to have been connected, was a parish located, partly in the baronies of Lower
Kells and Lower Slane, in the county of Meath, but chiefly in the barony of Clonkee, in the county of Cavan. This old church of Eniskeen has been torn down and uprooted, save and except old crosses and numerous tombs, which serve to mark the resting-places of the faithful. No traces remain at
in L'Abbe Sabatier's "Vies des Saints du Diocese de Beauvais. "
a See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Appendix Quarta ad Acta S. Brigidce, cap. i. ,
s See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga,"
Septima Vita S. Patricii, pars, ii. , cap. xliii. ,
p. 135, and n. 86, p. 177.
p. 612. — Article 11.
'
According to the" Genea-
Patricii, cap. xxiii. , p. 267.
7 See the Sixth Volume of this work
Art. i.
Article hi. —' Edited by Drs. Todd and
Reeves, pp. 194, 195.
logic Sanctilogy," chap, xxiii.
2 According to the Life of St. Benignus,
chap. 13, as quoted by Colgan.
3 Now known as the barony of Tirerrill,
2
About the year 1830, these stations were
in the county of Sligo.
held for the last time, as the writer has been
informed, the Rev. Peter O'Reilly, P. P. , by
of Enniskeen, now called Kingscourt. This change of name took place about the begin-
ning of the present century.
« William M. "
See Hennessy's Tripartite
Life of St. Patrick," part ii. Miss Cusack's " Life of St. Patrick, Apostle of Ireland," p. 404, and n. 2, ibid.
6
See ibid. y Quinta Appendix ad Acta S.
in
of
county the county
July 13. ] LIVES OE THE IRISH SAINTS. 3*3
present illustrative of the ancient worship. Here, the festival of St. Arney hadbeencelebratedeach13thdayofJuly. Aholywell,dedicatedtothissaint, springs from the soil, and convenient to the burying-ground. It is now dried
up, but stations used to be performed there, on the feast-day.
a
It was called
Toberarney. In the days of persecution, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass had to be celebrated on a large block of stone, outside the graveyard of Eniskeen.
Anciently, this seems to have been the pedestal of a stone cross or a sanc- tuary terminus. 3 Various other curious antique objects are in this parish. 4 There is a notice of this saint's festival, on the 13th of July, as furnished by Father O'Sheerin to the Bollandists. s
Article IV. —St. Greallog Obelech, of Tamlacht Charna, in Ui Breasail-airthir. This saint's name occurs in the MartyrologiesofTallagh,
1
of Marianus O'Gorman and of Maguire, at the present —date.
There is a St. Grellan, apparently Londonderry seemingly yet only
and— connected with
conjecturally identified with the present saint.
2
This may be Grealla, says
the calendarist, and sister to Monchan of Liath, and of Greillseach, while
Mella was mother of the three. According to another conjecture, however,
it is supposed the present saint, may be identical with a Grellan,3 who was
the companion of St. Columba,* when he set out for Caledonia, on his great
missionary enterprise about the year 565. If so, this saint must have flourished
in the sixth century. The connexion of place in Ulster renders such an
opinion not impossible. Grillan or Grillanus is another form of his name.
Some of the Scottish historians incorrectly call him Gallanus. s We find
entered in the of 6 that a festival was celebrated at the
Martyrology Donegal,
13th of July, in honour of Greallog Oeblach of Tamlacht Charna, in Ui Brea- sail airthir. The Ui Breasail, aJ,so called Ui Breasail Mach, were descended
fromBreasal,oftheCollaDaChriochrace. Inlatterages,thisterritorywas knownasClanbrazil. 7 AlltheeasternpartofOrighialla,calledOirthear,had been occupied by septs of Niallan race. 8 In some part of this territory, Tarn lacht Charna must, in all likelihood, be sought. The ancient territory of
3 See Rev. A.
Ancient and Modern," vol. ii. , chap, xvi. , pp. 298, 299.
4 See Lewis' "Topographical Dictionary of Ireland," vol. i. , p. 604.
5 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Julii xiii. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 474.
Article IV.
—
x
See Colgan's "Trias
194, 195.
t This district is shown, on a Map of
Ulster drawn up in the reign of Elizabeth or James I. , as situated to the south of Lough Neagh, where the Upper Bann enters that lake. From this circumstance, and from the space described, it appears to have been co- extensive with the present barony of Oneil- land East.
8
Cogan's
pp.
Thaumaturga," Quarta Appendix ad Acta S. Columbae, cap. x. , p. 490.
" Diocese of Meath,
6 Edited Drs. Todd and Reeves, by
The foregoing district appears not only 2 See " Memoir of the City and North to have included the present baronies of Western Liberties of Londonderry," part ii. , Oneilland, East and West, but also East
sect. 2, p. 27. and West (? ) North and South Orior. The 3 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," sept of the O'h-Anluains (O'Hanlons), pos-
Quarta Appendix ad Acta S. Colunibae, cap.
